Rotary trash-catcher.



P. EKMAN.

ROTARY TRASH CATCHER.

APPLICATION FILED 050.20, 1912.

Patented Apr. 27, 1915.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

P. EKMAN- ROTARY TRASH CATCHE'R.

APPLICATION HLED DEC-201 1912- 1 1373698 Patented Apr. 27, 1915.

- I 2 SHEET$-$HEET 2.

- TTED Trk PATET @FTQE.

rerun nmaan, on enem conoo.

' ROTARY TRASH-GA'ICHER;

Specification of letters Patent.

Patented Apr. ea, tars.

Application filed. December 20, 1912-. Serial No. 737,838.

tion, such as will enable others skilledin the art to which it appertains to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and 'to the letters and figures of reference marked thereon, which form a part of this specification.

My invention relates to improvements in rotary trash catchers adapted to be employed in connection with sugar beet fiumes through which the beets are passed during the preliminary stage of cleaning them preparatory to grinding and otherwise treating them for sugar making purposes. Dur-- ing this preliminary cleaning stage the beets, together with a suitable quantity of water, are passed through a flume suitably inclined to carry the beets along therewith.

Heretofore, so far as I am aware, the only method of removing the trash of various kinds, which clings to the beets, is by direct hand manipulation. In other words, men stand adjacent the flume, and by the use of suitable rakes, or catching devices gather the trash and lift it out of the flume. This method of removing the trash is both diifi-' cult and expensive.

My object is to overcome this dificulty, and to this end, I mount a wheel above the flume, the said wheel being equipped with rakes which are adapted to enter the flume,

. and when acted on by the water and beets,

the wheel is caused to rotate. By virtue of this rotary action the rakes with the gath ered trash are carried upwardly on the wheel and automatically drop their contents when they have reached a suitable point above, for the purpose. The trash, as it falls from the rakes, drops upon a stationary shelf mounted upon 'the frame which supports the wheel. From this shelf the trash may be removed in any suitable manner.

Having briefly outlined my improved construction, I will proceed to describe the same in detail, reference being made to the accompanying drawing in which is illustrated an embodiment thereof.

In this drawing, Figure 1 is a vertical section taken through myimproved rotary trash catcher in a plane cutting the axis of rotation at right angles. This may be termed a section taken on the line 1'-1, Fig. 2. Fig. 2, is a vertical section of the structure taken at right angles to Fig. 1, and on the line 22, Fig. 1.

.The same reference characters indicate the same parts in all the views.

Let the numeral 5 designate a suitable frame work upon the lower part to which is supported a flume or trough 6, having a bottom 7, and upright sides 8. This flume is suitably inclined to cause a stream of water and beets to pass therethrough in the direction of the arrow in Fig. 1. The frame 5, extends above the flume and in cludes parallel upright members 9, arranged on opposite sides of the flume. Mounted between these members 9, and in alinernent with the'channel of the flume is a wheel 10, which is supported upon grooved rollers 12, mounted on stub shafts 13, carried by the members 9, of the frame. The wheel as illustrated inthe drawing, is composed of two flat circular members 14 arranged in parallel relation and connectedby rods or bolts 15, whose opposite ends are threaded to receive fastening nuts 16. Upon each of these rods 15, between the members 14:, of the wheel, and pivotally mounted is a number of rakes 17, which are spaced by movable sleeves 18, the rakes being spaced from the wheel members. as well as from each other, by means of these sleeves. By virtue of this sleeve structure the two members 14, of the wheel are also spaced from each other. Each rake 17,; is composed of two sets of toothed members, 19. and 20. These two sets of members are pivotally connected bya bolt 21, upon which are mounted spacing sleeves 22, which separate the members 19 and 20, on the bolt 21, and also the members .20, from each. other. The members, 19, are pivotally connected at their extremities remote from the bolt 21, on the rods 15, and spaced by the sleeves 18 heretofore mentioned. The rakes are arranged to swing freely on their supporting rods 15, and the adjacent extremities of the members 19 and 20, also swing freely on the bolts 21. By virtue of this construction each rake is jointed intermediate its extremities. Rods 23, extend transversely between the Wheel members 1 and connected to the latter rods, are nuts 24,- being applied to. the oppoture for the wheel members 14, since the nuts applied to the rods 23, may be screwed tightly against the outer surfaces of the wheel members. On the contrary, the

I, sleeves 18, which space the rakes on the rods 15, must be loose in order to allow the toothed rake members to move freely. Hence, these sleeves cannot properly space the wheel members to formja solid structure, The sleeves 25, and their supporting rods 23, form a support for the rakes when the latter are upon the upper part of the wheel In describing the operation of my improved rotary trash catcher, it must be understood (see Fig. 1) that the wheelie traveling in the direction indicated by the arrow a, Hence, when the rakes 17,. reach a predetermined position on the downwardly moving side of the wheel, (see Fig. 1) the .rakes will swing outwardly toward the left, and hang downwardly into the flume, whereby they are brought into the path of the downwardly moving stream of water and beets. Under these circumstances the rakes. will occupy such a position with reference to the trash which is carried by the beets, as to catch this trash and separate it from the stream into which the rakes depend.

The members of the rakes are toothed in such a manner as to retain the trash as the rakes are carried upwardly on the wheel and when the rakes reach a suitably elevated position, the trash will drop automatically therefrom between the two members 14 of the wheel andfall upon a shelf or platform 26, which is laterally inclined being suitably supported upon the stationary frame work 5, of the structure and extending outwardly beyond the wheel. Attention is called to the fact that this'wheel has no axle or support in the line of its center of motion, thus leaving the same clear for the trash to fall from the upper part ofthewheel downwardly upon the platform 26.

In further explanation of the operation of the structure attention is called to the fact that the rakes are so supported and arranged upon the wheel that w en they swing downwardly on the downwardly the wheel, being the left hand side, referring to Fig. 1, they are flexed as they enter the flume in such a manner that the structure moving through the fiume and inengagement therewith can not swing them downwardly since their flexed condition constis tutes a lock to maintain the rakes in the trash.

catching position while the wheel moves sufficlently to carry them upwardly-therewith jointed rakes mounted moving side ofout of the flume, on the upwardly moving side of the wheel.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim is:

1. In a trash catcher the combination with a frame of a wheel mounted to rotate on the frame, and rakes pivotally connected with the wheel and arranged to hang freely downwardly from the lower part thereof and to serve as paddles against which material pass; ing under the wheel may act to rotate the wheel.

2. In a trash catcher the combination with a frame, of a wheel mounted to rotate on the frame, rakes pivotally connected with the wheel and arranged to hang freely downwardly from the lower part thereof, and

means carried by the wheel for supporting I joined together in parallel relation, rollers mounted upon said frame in positions to form a bearing for the wheel, the space inclosed by said rings being free of obstructions and rakes pivotally connected with the wheel and depending from the lower part thereof.

4. In a trash catcher the combination with a frame, of a wheel comprising a rim only, said wheel being rotatably supported upon the frame, and rakes pivotally connected with the wheel, and depending from the lower part thereof, the wheel being equipped with means for supporting the rakes in the trash discharging position on the upper part of the wheel.

5. A trash catcher comprising a wheel,

of toothed members, the rakes being pivotally connected with the wheel, means for supporting'the rakes in position to discharge the trash collected thereby from the upper part of the wheel, the rakes being pivotally mounted on the wheel and arranged to as sume a depending position on the downwardly forth.

6. In a trash collector the combination with a stationary frame, of a wheel mounted thereon, jointed rakes pivotally connected with the wheel and means for supporting the rakes in the trash discharging position when on the upper part of the wheel, the rakes being free to swing downwardly from the lower 'pa rtbf-the wheel into the trash collecting position, substantially, as de-' scribed.

thereon and composedmoving side forthe purpose set 7. The combination with a frame carrying rollers, of a wheel composed of two par allel members suitably spaced, the said members engaging the rollers in anti-frictional relation, rakes pivotally mounted between the two wheel members, rods transversely arranged between the wheel members and forming a support for the rakes on the upper part of the wheel, the rakes being free to swing downwardly from the lower part of the wheel into the trash catching position, and a platform supported within the circle of the wheel whic is centrally open to allow the material discharged from the rakes to fall upon the platform from the upper part of the rotary structure, substantially, as described.

8. 'lhe combination with a suitable frame carrying rollers, a wheel composed of parallel members, rods connecting the said members, sleeves mounted on the rods and spacing the wheel members, other rods mounted on the wheel members, jointed rakes pivotally connected with the last named rods, and resting upon the spacing sleeves of the first named rods when the rakesare on the upper part of the wheel, the rakes being free to swing downwardly from the lower part of the wheel into the trash collecting position.

9. In combination, an inclined. trough, a perpendicularly arranged wheel mounted above and in line with said trough, rakes pivotally attached to said wheel near its circumference and adapted to rest upon the bottom of the trough as they pass in the lower arc of the circle during the rotation of the wheel, said wheel being adapted to be rotated by the passage of material along said inclined trough.

10. In a machine of the character described, the combination with a fiume along which tuber-like products associated with trash are carried by a current of water, of a trash catcher, comprising an endless traveling vertically disposed carrier mounted above the flume, said carrier havin rakes mounted thereon composed of toothe memhere, means for supporting the rakes to discharge the trash collected thereby from the upper part of the carrier, the rakes being arranged to assume a depending position on a the downwardly moving side of the carrier, and to act as paddles against which the material in the flume may act to move the carrier,

11. In a machine of the character described, the combination with a ilume along which tuber-like products associated with trash are carried by a current of water, of a trash collector comprising a stationary frame and an endless traveling vertically disposed carrier mounted thereon, rakes pivotally connected with the carrier, and means for supporting the rakes in the trash discharging position when on the upper part of the carrier, the rakes being free to swing downwardly from the lower part or" the carrier intothe trash collecting position and to act as paddles against which the material in the fiume may act to move the carrier,

12. lln a machine of the character described, the combination with a flume along which tuber-like products associated with trash are carried by a current of water, of a movable carrier mounted above the fiume having trash-engaging elements operating therein substantially in opposition to the flow of water, and foldable links on the carrier and from which said elements are suspended said elements having trash-engaging and retaining surfaces operating in the range of travel ofthe trash and adapted to separate and remove the trash while allowing the tuber-like products to pass unchecked,

In testimony whereof I afi'ix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

PETER Eldll/lhhl,

Witnesses:

S. J, OBamn, A, L, Lnnraan, 

